Steering columns are disposed in vehicles to support the steering wheel for use by the driver. Adjustable steering columns are disposed to enable the driver to change the position of the steering wheel to enhance safe, comfortable and convenient turning of the wheel and steering of the vehicle. Raking movement and tilting movement change the angular position of the steering wheel. Telescoping movement changes the axial position of the steering wheel along the center axis of the steering column relative to the dashboard, the steering wheel moving outward or inward from the dashboard. Adjustable steering columns include locks to prevent movement of the steering wheel after the desired position of the steering wheel has been established. Such columns are also collapsible to facilitate axial movement, absorption and dissipation of energy in an extreme impact event. This collapse may be accomplished by the use of a nested upper or inner column jacket proximate the steering wheel and lower or outer column jacket away from the wheel that move relative to one another to facilitate the collapse of the steering column. Such steering column designs generally use a clamping mechanism that axially constrains the upper and lower steering column jackets during normal operation of the vehicle.
There is a need to provide an effective means of “releasing” clamp mechanisms that axially constrain the inner steering column jacket to the outer steering column jacket during collapse of adjustable steering columns. Current designs of the same basic column architecture allow the inner jacket to translate inside the outer jacket during column collapse only by defeating the axial constraints of the clamping mechanism. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide design alternatives that do not require this constraint.